Nation mourns for General Vo Nguyen Giap

In Quang Binh: Thousands of people have filled the road leading to a small house of General Giap’s family in An Xa village, Loc Thuy commune, Le Thuy district, where General Giap was born in 1911.

Pham Huu Thao, Vice Chairman of the Le Thuy district People’s Committee, said more than 2,000 delegations had offered incense to General Giap. Some even travelled hundreds of kilometres to mourn the loss of the great leader.

Local people are still packing the road to General Giap's house in his hometown

17.00: More than 550 delegations have paid their final respects to General Giap at HCM City’s Reunification Palace.

Organisers said the funeral service will last till 21.00pm and it may be extended to a later time to live up to mourners’ expectations. 

Buddhist Venerable Thich Tac Hue of the HCM City Buddhist Sangha, said he is proud that Vietnam has a national hero whose talent has been recognised internationally.

“He devoted his whole life to the nation and people. We admire him.”

Joining the crowd was Simon Stauber, a Swiss visitor, who said he admires General Giap for his great military exploits and war tactics.     

16.00: Despite hot weather, thousands are patiently queuing in front of the national funeral house, waiting to farewell the General.

Among the mourners was Nguyen Ngoc Co from Hanoi’s Cau Giay District, who brought with him a collection of poems he has composed in praise of General Giap.

Co, a Vietnamese Lao national, joined volunteer Vietnamese to combat in Laos during the past war. He had several chances to meet and work with General Giap.

He said he had composed nearly 100 poems about General Giap and the latest was finished on October 4 after hearing the General’s passing.

“I want to offer the collection as a special gift from the bottom of my heart to the revered general,” he said. 

Australian national Sean Reid, 46, joined the crowd to bid farewell to General Giap

Funeral service extended

The organising board of General Giap’s funeral has decided to extend the funeral service till 06.00am on October 13 instead of 21.00pm on October 12 as planned.

The announcement came after tens of thousands of mourners have been converging on the national funeral house in Hanoi to pay their final respects to General Giap. 

Delegations of various State ministries and agencies continued to pay their final respects to General Giap at the national funeral house in the afternoon 

A delegation of the Government Office led by its head Vu Duc Dam

A delegation of the Party Central Committee's Commission for Propaganda and Education

A delegation of the Ministry of Health is led by Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien

A Radio the Voice of Vietnam delegation is led by General Director Nguyen Dang Tien

14.00: Thousands of people are filling streets leading to the national funeral house where General Giap is laying in state.

They crowded the Pasteur Park in front of the funeral house waiting to enter and file past the General’s casket.  

Some could not hold back their tears

In Laos: the Vietnamese embassy in Vientiane conducted a funeral in honour of General Vo Nguyen Giap.

A Lao Government delegation led by Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong showed his respect in front of General Giap’s altar

In the funeral book, the PM expressed his deep sorrow at the Vietnamese General’s passing, noting that General Giap was an excellent student of late President Ho Chi Minh, who made a great contribution to Vietnam’s national liberation cause, as well as to cementing Vietnam-Laos relations.

Vietnam’s national flag and ASEAN’s flag were flown at half mast in front of the Vietnamese Embassy in Vientiane.

Representatives of the Vietnamese community in Laos expressed their sorrow in the funeral book

The embassy displayed photos featuring General Giap’s revolutionary life and special Vietnam-Laos relations. 

In Cambodia: A funeral service was held at the Vietnamese Embassy headquarters in Phnom Penh

Ambassador Ngo Anh Dung and representatives of Vietnamese missions in Cambodia observed a minute’s silence in front of General Giap’s altar

Representatives of diplomatic corps of Cuba, China, Thailand, Myanmar, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and India, went to the embassy, extending condolences to the ambassador and wrote in the funeral book.

The Cuban ambassador to Cambodia paid tribute to General Giap in Phnom Penh

The Thai ambassador wrote in the funeral book

Representatives of Cambodia’s Foreign Ministry, Senate and other socio-political organisations bid farewell and wrote in the funeral book. 

Senator Mien Som An, Vice President of the Cambodia Women’s Union for Peace and Development, noted the Cambodian people were moved to hear about General Giap’s passing.

“The world has lost a great hero who spent high whole life struggling for freedom, peace and happiness not only for Vietnam but also Cambodia,” she said. 

11.00: Vietnamese people are gathering outside the national funeral house, waiting to mourn the loss of the General.
 

Nguyen Thi Cuc, living in Tay Ho district, told VOV online she wants to pay her final tribute to General Giap, although she did so at the General’s private house several days ago.

“I would like to thank the General for his significant contributions to the nation,” she said. “He sets a bright example for young generations to follow”.

People watching the funeral through giant LED screens erected outside the national funeral house

Nguyen Van Anh, a Hanoi National University student, said, “I only know the General through books, newspapers and documentaries. I really respect and admire him. His passing is a great loss to his family and Vietnamese nation. I will tell my children about him. I expect he will rest in peace forever.” 

10.30 The funeral service took place at the Armoured Tank Command in Hanoi.

In his address, Lieutenant Colonel Tran Van Thoai highlighted General Giap’s revolutionary life and vowed to build a regular Vietnamese army capable of firmly defending the nation. 
 

10.00: Thousands are thronging outside the Reunification Palace in HCM City, showing their respects to the general.
 

War veterans observed a minute's silence in front of General Giap's altar

Delegations of the Municipal Party People’s Committee, People’s Committee, People’s Council, Fatherland Front, various sectors, as well as of diplomatic corps and international organisations bid farewell to the General.

9.50: Officials, soldiers, and people of Dien Bien province offered incense to General Giap at his altars placed at the provincial’s Military Command and E2 Hill.

They expressed deep sorrow at the passing of General Giap whose name was closely associated with the resounding Dien Bien Phu victory over French colonialists about six decades ago.

On Truong Sa islands: Soldiers and islanders have erected altars in honour of General Giap.

Vice Political Commissar Lieutenant Colonel Luong Xuan Giap said a funeral organising board had been established to coordinate the service.

The national flag was ordered flown at half-mast as of 12.00am on October 11 on Truong Sa Lon, Nam Yet Song Tu Tay and other islands of the Truong Sa archipelago.

All the islanders were saddened to hear about the general’s passing. This morning, they all gathered and paid their final respects to the general. 

9.00: Despite the heavy rain, Quang Binh province conducted a rehearsal transporting General Giap’s coffin from Dong Hoi airport to Yen island.

Shortly after the memorial service in Hanoi on October 13, a Vietnam Airlines plane will transport General Giap’s coffin to Dong Hoi airport.

The coffin will then be driven in a motorcade heading for Yen island, about 60km from Dong Hoi airport, for interment.    

8.40: Thousands of people in HCM City clung to each other, entering the Thong Nhat (Reunification) Palace to pay tribute to General Giap.

Among them war veterans who joined battlefields in Dien Bien Phu and along the Truong Son Mountain Range in the second half of the 20th century.

An old woman burst into tears when Vietnam lost a revered general

8.30: Family members of General Giap left their private house in Hanoi for Quang Binh province to prepare for the interment on October 13.

General Giap will be buried at Yen island in Quang Binh province on October 13. 

8.20: The funeral service is taking place in Quang Binh province – the hometown of General Giap.

A General Giap’s altar was solemnly erected inside the Quang Binh Provincial People’s Committee’s Conference Hall.

Despite heavy rains, thousands of local people converged on the Conference Hall to show their respect to the general. 

Foreigners mourn: General Giap’s passing has captured great attention from the international community.

A Lao delegation is led by Party General Secretary and State President Choummaly Saynhasone

A Cambodian delegation is led by National Assembly Chairman Heng Samrin

In funeral books, top Party, State, National Assembly and Government leaders wrote General’s death is a great loss to Vietnam’s Party, people and army, as well as international friends.
 

They extended their heartfelt condolences to the General’s family and vowed to uphold the General’s aspiration towards building a rich people, a strong nation, and an equitable, democratic and civilised society.  

7.55: Government leader Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Vice President Vu Trong Kim paid farewell to General Giap lying in state inside the funeral house.

They also observed a minute’s silence in commemoration of the revered General.

A Government delegation led by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung paid farewell to General Giap

7.40: State and National Assembly delegations led by State President Truong Tan Sang and NA Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung offered incense and filed past the casket. 

The National Assembly delegation observed a minute's silence in front of the General's coffin

7.25: Deputy PM Phuc declared the start of the funeral service. 

A Party Central Committee led by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong paid tribute to General Giap. They filed past the coffin and shared sympathy with the General's family
 

06.30: The organising board of the funeral led by Deputy PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc covered General Giap's coffin with the national flag 
 

06.00: Deputy PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Defence Minister Phung Quang Thanh inspected preparations for the funeral service
 

The state funeral service will begin at 7.30 am on October 12 and last till 21.00pm of the same day.

The whole morning will be reserved for senior leaders of the Party, State, National Assembly, Government, and the Vietnam Fatherland Front, and delegations of foreign countries, and diplomatic corps.

In front of the national funeral house several minutes before the funeral service

Half of the afternoon will be for delegations from ministries, agencies, provinces and cities.

Fellow Vietnamese countrymen from across the country will pay their last respects to the revered General in the last six hours.

The organising board of General Giap’s funeral said the funeral service may last till 23.00.

A system of giant LED screens has been installed outside the national funeral house in Hanoi for mourners to follow the event. 

General Giap's family wear mourning turbans ahead of the service

General Vo Nguyen Giap was born on August 25, 1911 in Loc Thuy commune, Le Thuy District, Quang Binh province in central Vietnam.

He was former member of the Party’s Political Bureau, former Secretary of the Military Party Commission, former Deputy Prime Minister, former Minister of National Defence, and former Commander-in-chief of the Vietnam People’s Army. 

He was globally respected for his great contribution to Vietnam‘s two past resistance wars, notably the resounding Dien Bien Phu victory over the French colonialists in 1954.

He was considered one of the world’s greatest military leaders.

General Giap was awarded the Gold Star Order, Ho Chi Minh Order, 70-year Party membership badge, and many other noble distinctions of Vietnam and foreign countries. 

(To be continued...)